Arts & Culture

WATSONVILLE—Meri Henriques Vahl vividly remembers her first major exposure to the world of art quilts.  Vahl was born in New York in 1945, and years later, during a visit to the Frick Museum in the Upper East Side of Manhattan with a friend, she viewed...

APTOS—The Aptos High School and Aptos Junior High School choir departments have been hard at work for the past few months, preparing for their upcoming “Sounds of the Season” holiday concert. Along the way, they dealt with some bumps in the road—most notably the power...

I nervously submit these recipes because so much of the Thanksgiving cooking tradition is passed on through families, as these ones are from mine. I’m just offering suggestions here and bear in mind, it is difficult to offer exact amounts or instructions because turkeys differ...

APTOS—Jon Scoville has always been eager to open his mind to new music. Growing up as a minister’s son in Connecticut, Scoville learned the craft by singing in church choirs and around his family’s home piano. But in secret he was also listening to genres...

CAPITOLA—Forty artists from across the county fanned out around Capitola last week with canvas, easels, chalk and tubes of color in tow, in hopes of distilling a handful of the coastal city’s choice land and seascapes on canvas and paper.  The efforts were part of...

In South America, you would recognize this dish, Pastel de Choclo, as a popular family casserole. To me, it resembles the classic 1950’s American Tamale Pie that appeared at least monthly on the Ringler family dinner table when we lived in Bakersfield. Both are...

WATSONVILLE—A new book has hit the shelves, “Fruit of the Devil,” by retired Pajaro Valley Unified School District teacher Mary Flodin.  The novel unfolds between the exclusive golf courses of Pebble Beach to the world-famous surf breaks of Santa Cruz and the fertile lands of...

APTOS—A collection of 207 art pieces will be on display at the Cabrillo Gallery in Aptos on Monday as part of the college’s annual “12x12: An Open Invitational” fundraising exhibit. The art ranges from traditional oil and acrylic paintings to pieces created with found objects,...

For decades, Watsonville-based Mexican folklórico group Esperanza del Valle (EDV) has been learning from master dance instructors from Mexico.  One of these teachers, Daniel del Valle Hernandez, will join Esperanza for its upcoming show, “Homenaje a Veracruz,” which is scheduled for Nov. 12 and 13...

APTOS—Cabrillo College classes started Aug. 29, and with it came the first exhibition of the year at the school’s on-campus art gallery. Connections: Cabrillo Art, Photography & Art History Faculty & Staff Exhibition is now open and will run through Sept. 23. The annual show...